Beet-harvester.



1. VAN BEEK.

Bw HARVESTER.

APPLICATION-FILED APR.I.191T.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

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2 sHEETs-sHEET x.

8 N N mi w n N 5. VAN BEEK.

BEET HARVESTER.

11PP11cAT1o11 111513 APR.11,1911.

l ,288, 30@ Patented Dec. l?, i918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOSEPH VAN BEEK, OF GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN.

BEET-HARVESTEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Application led April 17, 1917'. Serial No. 162,615.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH VAN BEEK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Green Bay, in the county of Brown and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beet-Harvesters, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The invention relates to a beet harvester', and its principal object consists therein to provide a machine of the character specified whereby the beets are pulled out of the ground, topped and discharged.

Another object constitutes the provision of novel means for conveying the beets to the topping device. A

A further object embraces the means for gradually pulling out the beets from the ground.

reference to the specification and the claims forming part thereof.

In the accompanying drawings,

y Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of an auxiliary frame of the machine containing the operative elements.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionaly view of the frame. the. section being taken on line y 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the entire machine. .j A

' Fig. 4 is a detail view of driving connecT tions, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentaryrperspective view.

i of one of the runner bars and its detachable and. receive shafts 7, carrying at their upper end sprocket wheels-8 and at their lower end sprocket wheels 9. Conveyer chains 10 aretrained around the sprocket wheels 9 and are equipped with a plurality of U-shaped members 11 of which the transverse por- Other objects will become apparent by therefor must be made in rotating the drive wheels 8 which impart rotation to the wheels 9 and chains 10. The runner bars 3 are equipped with elevating or lifting members 12 pivoted at their forward ends to said run-l ners, and at theirrear ends to adjusting rods 13, the lower end of which is slotted, as at 14, for passage of the bolt 15, extending through the yrunner bar 3. Thus the slope of bar 12 may be varied by loosening bolt 15 and shifting the rod 13.

Leaf springs 16 secured to the member 12 form an extension thereof and are depressed into the position indicated in 4dotted lines in Fig. 2 under the weight of a rearwardly sliding beet. The upward pressure of the spring serves to steady the beet and to prevent its being displaced forwardly durinLy the topping operation as hereinafter further specified. The elevating members 12 and the springs cause the tops of the beets to ene ter in engagement with the underside of a knife 18. The latter is secured as at 19. to

a pitman 20. connected at its other end to a crank 21 of the shaft 22. The tops of thel beets are passed on over the free ends of the springs and are guided to one side of the machine by a detiecting plate 23.

A number of forwardly extending rods 21 hinged at 25. to theplates 17 are adjustably secured to the frame by rods 26, which at the upper end are slotted and are secured in adjusted position by bolts 27. The rods 24 serve the purpose of gathering theV leaves or foliage of thev beets and guide the same in between the spaced plates 17` so as to insure proper conveyance of the pulled out beets. Adjacent to the forward end of the longitudinal members of the frame 1. arms 27 are secured at the lower end of which a plow 28 is fastened adapted to dig up a furrow at each side of' a rovvv obeets", Vso as to" allow the chains 10 and attachments 11 to oper"- ate below the surface of the ground.` VThe plates 17 are provided With transverse slots 29 so as to permit adjustment of the-"plates 17 with respect to each other.

yReferring especially to Fig. I5 it will be apparent that the auxiliary frame 1 is suspended from a pair of crank shafts 30 and 315 vWhich are'journaled in bearings 3Q and 33er the auxiliary frame 1. Thetermina'l portionsV of the crank shafts 30 and 31-enter boxes" Sandt 35, secured on they innersides of the longitudinal membersk of the main frame 86. The main frame 36 is supportedy by running- Wheels 37 and 38, the latter being provided` on its hub with asprocket Wheel 39 around Which and a registering sprocket 11 on a shaft 2.a chain; 40 is trained. A beveled gear 130i said shaft meshes; with a beveled gear 4:4: keyed toa shaft 4 5. A. sliding'sp'rocket 4:6y issplined to* the shaft 45 and an arm e7' secured to the bracket 51 which is supportedby the' auxiliary frame engages with the forked end 48er the -hub of thevsproeket Wheel which is; provided with; acircular'. groove,y so as te b'eraised and lowere'i'dginl accordance withl vertical adjustments of the-auxiliary frame 1. Achain 49 ifs-trained around-the sprocket e6 and around a sprocketmounte'don anupright shaft 50, whichisfcarried-by a bracket `51, formingbearngs .for saidV upright Shaft. A= sprocket 52 at the upper endothe upright shaft is engaged by a chain; V53,KVA which .is trained around the sprocket Wheels 8 oi' the upriglfitv shaft 7, which at'thelower end are provided With v. the-sprockets!) and the chainsl 10. Itis obvious from'Fig. 3' .thatl the sprocket chain 53' is so trained aroundthe several sprocket vvheelsS that the Wheels 8 on one side ofA the auxiliary frame'` are revolving inY one directiom While thevvheels on the other side or" the frame revolvel in opposite direction. The shaftfLQiS provided near its inner yend Where it is ,carried by. the bearing 54 with a' sprocket Wheel 55. This sprocket Wheel is in registry with a sprocket Wheel 56 on the* shaft Q2.- vvhich is connected. bv means of the crank 21 and the pitman 2'0 With the reciprocatinga knife 18. Y

A chain 57 is trained aroundthe Wheels andfGs-s'o .that continuous `drivevis imparted to the shaft 22 to eect recipro'cation of the "cuttingi knife. quadrant 58 .is secured'to the main r'frame and serves as a locking means for aflever.v 59 securedfto the auxiliary frame-1. NA spring pressed parvl O'o'fsaid lever'enters a notchf of thequadrai'itlS, so tlatthe entire'atiisili'ary frame together with lits operative parts Vmay be raised Aclear off Vthe ground or may be adjustedin vertical vdirection t0 meet special requirements. A clutch Vlever 62 extending fiile beets-.to beharvested". In the operationof the machine theploivs fornr narrow tui? roWsin frontoithe conveyor chains 10and the runner bars together ivith ltheir points- 47 loosen the soil at ,each sideof thebeets. Simultaneousl)7 thelifter rods llexercise an upwardlyldirected pressure upon the beets which thus are 'forced to slide up oni the bars' until the beets are seized by `the springs 11i-*Which causethe latter toengage Withthe underside of the 'spaced plates 17. chains 10 engage the beets with their. Ul shapedlmembers 111. outside'of the lifter rods 12, and thus insure proper conveyance of' the beets.v Subsequently 'thel'eaves of thev beets projecting through theispacesf between thev plates 17 are severed bythe reciqorocati-4v ing knife 18, andi-the ytops are dischar'lied to' oneside of. the machineby'the deli'eeting platev Q3.

While the drawings l show i' the embodiment of theinventiom'it'i-s notr.-ny

intention tojconfine myself vstrictlyv to* the details as shovvmbut'IJWant to avail myself of. any changes,v alterations and modieations which constitute departures Withi'nt'he4 scope of the invention as speciicallypointe'd out inthe appended. claims.

'I claim: A t y 1. In. a machine of thefkind described,- a. frame. runne'bars secured to said .frame and adapted to movein the `erouI1bl7,`lifting bars securedto said runnenb'arscmeans for adjustingsaid liftiibars', a pair of spaced plates l arranged above said runner bars, means'for pressing thebeets in engagement with said plates, convever chains'` `for C arrying; the beets rearwardly' in upright-,position and means for topoingethe'beets., Y

2. In a machine of thekind described, a

frame` runnerbars securedv to said if'r'an'iel and adapted to move in the ground. iftingbars secured to said 4runn'e'rbars', meansffor ,ads ju'stingr` saidlitting-bars. a pair f spaced plates' arranged above' said runner'bars,re silient means for'pressingthe beets in en- ,sagement With said platesyconvever chains j for carrying the beets' rearvv'ardlvj invv upright positi on t and means for toppingthe" beets.4 t

'3. VIn a m".u';'hin`eofthe kind describ ed.,`a frame7 runnerl bars on saidframev adante'dto move in the ground, lifter rods` adjustably mounted on; said. ruimerbars and adapted to isov lift the beets out of the ground, springs forming the extension of said lifter rods, a pair of spaced plates above said lifter rods and formng an abutment for the beets raised by said springs, a topping device, and conveyer chains for delivering the beets in upright position to said topping device.

In a machine of the kind described, a frame, runner bars secured to said frame and adapted to move in the ground, lifter rods adapted to Vlift the beets out of the ground, conveyerv chains moving in the ground and adapted to carry the beets rearwardly, members on said chains for securely f' holding the beets, means for removing the soil to clear the path for said chains, a pair of spaced plates afbove said chains forming a. guiding means for the beets, and a reciproeating device above the rear end of said chains to top the beets.

5. in a machine of the kind described, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor frame, runner bars secured to said frame and adapted tcmove in the ground, lifter rods Iadapted to lift the beets out of the ground, means for adjusting the lifter rods, springs forming the extension of said lifter rods, a pair of spaced plates above said runner bars forming an abutment for the beets When raised by said springs, means i'or guiding the foliage of the beets into the space Ibetween said plates, conveyer chains moving in the ground and adapted to carry the beets rearwardly in upright position, members on said chains for securely holding the beets, means for removing the soil to clear the path for said chains, means for guiding the beets, and a reciprocating device above the rear end of said chains to top the` beets.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aHiX my signature.

JOSEPH VAN BEEK.

ve cent: each, by addreuilg the Commissioner ot Patents, Washington, D. U. 

